Maine jobless claims decline slightly

(The Center Square) – New state unemployment claims in Maine dropped slightly last week, but the decline was offset by a slight increase in those seeking federal unemployment benefits.

At least 3,236 unemployment claims were filed for the week that ended Jan. 16, a decline of 517 claims, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly jobless claims report.

But another 1,040 new claims were filed for federally backed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a rise of 319 claims, the federal agency said.

Nationally, about 900,000 new jobless claims were filed last week, a decline of about 26,000 claims from the previous week, according to the Labor Department.

While jobless claims remain high nationally amid a surge of the coronavirus, they’re nowhere near the deluge of 6.8 million unemployment claims filed last April when many states shuttered their economies to prevent spread of the virus.

Continuing claims – which are viewed as a barometer of the unemployment situation – dropped slightly to about 5 million nationally, the labor department said.

Overall, more than 18 million people are still receiving state or federal unemployment benefits.

Meanwhile, jobless workers are benefitting from a $900 billion Covid-19 relief package that added $300-a-week extra benefit for those receiving unemployment and extended two pandemic jobless programs used by more than 13 million people nationwide.

The government-funded programs provide federal jobless benefits for self-employed, gig workers and others who do not qualify for traditional state unemployment programs.

The incoming Biden administration has rolled out a $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal, which calls for an extension of federal jobless programs and an increase to the $300 weekly benefit.

The government-funded programs provide federal jobless benefits for self-employed, gig workers and others who do not qualify for traditional state unemployment programs.

Maine has paid out more than $1.76 billion in federal and state unemployment benefits since mid-March, when the COVID-19 outbreak began.

The state’s jobless rate fell to 5% in December, according to figures released by the Maine Department of Labor.

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square